After Nakba Day: Arabs Preparing for 'Naksa Day'

Following the events of ‘Nakba Day’, Arabs are preparing for ‘Naksa Day’, the day Jerusalem was liberated in 1967.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 5/19/2011, 4:48 AM / Last Update: 5/19/2011, 11:08 AM

Flash 90

Following the events of ‘Nakba Day’ (the day marking the ‘catastrophe’ of Israel’s establishment), Palestinian Authority Arabs are now preparing for ‘Naksa Day’, the anniversary of the liberation of Jerusalem by the IDF in the 1967 Six Day War. The so-called ‘Naksa Day’ takes place on June 7, according to the Gregorian calendar.

A website calling itself ‘The Third Palestinian Intifada’ calls on Arabs to pledge an oath of allegiance to Jerusalem on Naksa Day by marching into the city.

A statement on the website claimed that “the Nakba events have proven that Palestine can be liberated through a mass unarmed march, so long as the nation would be willing to pay any price, even a million martyrs. Our intifada continues, Israel will be gone soon, and we will pray in the mosques and churches of Jerusalem.”

Meanwhile, another Arab website called on Arabs to march towards Israel’s borders this coming Friday “in memory of the martyrs of Nakba Day.” Another website issued a call for a ‘day of rage’ on Friday near the Erez crossing.

The Nakba Day events this past week included riots by hundreds of Arabs throughout Israel. In some of the rallies Arabs only hooted at Israeli security forces, while in others the rioters hurled rocks and firebombs at Israeli forces.

One incident involved nearly 1,000 Syrian Arabs who infiltrated Israel. The Syrians gathered outside the Druze town of Majdal Shams and rioted there, as IDF forces attempted to push them back towards Syrian territory. About 100 of them broke through the border fence, and remained in Israel for several hours.

It was later revealed that one of the infiltrators got as far as Tel Aviv and wandered around the city during the day, with the intention of getting to Jaffa, where his family is originally from.